West Russian Volunteer Army
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2013) |
| West Russian Volunteer Army | |
|---|---|
 The only surviving flag of the West Russian Volunteer Army | |
| Active | 1918–20 |
| Allegiance |  Russian State (officially) German Empire (unofficially) |
| Size | 50,000 |
| Engagements | Russian Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Gen. Pavel Bermondt-Avalov Gen. Rüdiger von der Goltz |
| Insignia | |
| Army Flag |  |
The West Russian Volunteer Army[a] or Bermontians[b] was a pro-German military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War in 1918–20.
History
The Western Russian Volunteer Army, unlike the pro-
However, only a small portion of the
Confrontation with the governments of Latvia and Lithuania
The political situation in the Baltic region continued to deteriorate. A new government in Lithuania refused to allow White Russians to pass troops through and establish a military base. After initially supporting the White Russians the Weimar government, under pressure from the Entente, banned the transfer of German soldiers to the Russians and ordered the Reichswehr to block the East Prussian border to block Freikorp's supplies. General von der Goltz was finally recalled on October 4.
In this circumstances Bermondt-Avalov launched an offensive using Freikorps in attempt to force the Republic of Latvia to negotiate. With the support of
In October 1919, the West Russian Volunteer Army attacked the newly independent states of
In November, the Latvian army managed to drive the Bermondt-Avalov forces into Lithuanian territory. Mitau was also lost. Finally, the West Russian Volunteer Army suffered heavy defeats by the Lithuanians near Radviliškis, a major railway centre.
Upon defeat Bermondt-Avalov fled to Denmark. The German Freikorps were handed over to the German Lieutenant General von Eberhardt, successor of the Goltz as commander of the VI Reserve Corps in Allenstein. After the involvement of the Entente military mission, General Eberhardt was able to organize evacuation of the remaining German Freikorps via Lithuania to East Prussia. This was completed by mid-December 1919.
Army
The Army uniforms of the West Russian Volunteer Army were provided by Germany and decorated with Russian distinctive signs, in particular the shoulder legs according to the model of the
The army included:[1]
- Corps Graf Keller (Colonel Potozki): from 7,000 to 10,000 soldiers, near Jelgava
- Corps Virgolitsch (Colonel Virgolitsch): from 3,500 to 5,000 mounted soldiers including Cossacks, stationed in northern Lithuania
- Iron Division (Major Bischoff): about 15,000 to 18,000, at Jelgava, joined in August
- German Legion (Captain Sievert): about 9,000 to 12,000 soldiers who had come together from various independent free corps.
- Freikorps Plehwe (Captain von Plehwe): about 3,000 soldiers (the former 2nd Guard Reserve Regiment), before Libau
- Freikorps Diebitsch: about 3,000 soldiers, for railway protection in Lithuania.
- Freikorps Roßbach: about 1,000 soldiers, appeared at the end of October after a march over 1,200 km off Riga.
See also
- White Movement
- Freikorps in the Baltic
- Baltische Landeswehr
- Estonian War of Independence
- Latvian War of Independence
- Lithuanian Wars of Independence
References
- ISBN 9984-00-395-7, page 78.
Bibliography
- OCLC 186846067.
- OCLC 15188750.
- Bischoff, Josef, Die letzte Front. Geschichte der Eiserne Division im Baltikum 1919, Berlin 1935.
- Darstellungen aus den Nachkriegskämpfen deutscher Truppen und Freikorps, Bd 2: Der Feldzug im Baltikum bis zur zweiten Einnahme von Riga. Januar bis Mai 1919, Berlin 1937; Bd 3: Die Kämpfe im Baltikum nach der zweiten Einnahme von Riga. Juni bis Dezember 1919, Berlin 1938.
- Die Baltische Landeswehr im Befreiungskampf gegen den Bolschewismus, Riga 1929.
- Eesti Vabadussõda 1918-1920, Tallinn, Mats, 1997. ISBN 9985-51-028-3.
- Kiewisz, Leon, Sprawy łotewskie w bałtyckiej polityce Niemiec 1914-1919, Poznań 1970.
- Paluszyński, Tomasz, Walka o niepodległość Łotwy 1914-1920, Warszawa 1999.
- Von den baltische Provinzen zu den baltischen Staaten. Beiträge zur Entstehungsgeschichte der Republiken Estland und Lettland, Bd I (1917-1918), Bd II (1919-1920), Marburg 1971, 1977.
- Simas Sužiedėlis, ed. (1970–1978). "Bermondtists". LCCN 74-114275.
